Two UCLA players make preseason Wooden Award list

UCLA's Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson are among those named by the Los Angeles Athletic Club in its preseason top-50 watchlist of players considered most likely to win the John R. Wooden Award, given to the best college basketball student-athlete at the end of the season.

Creighton senior forward Doug McDermott, a Wooden Award All-American in 2012 and 2013, could become the first three-time selection on the men’s side since North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough (2007-09). McDermott set Creighton single-season records for points, field goals and three-point percentage last season, then led Team USA in scoring (14.9 points per game) at the World University Games this summer.

He averaged 23.2 points and 7.7 rebounds last season to helped Creighton to a 28-8 record, and led the nation with 284 field goals and 834 points in 2012-13.

Kentucky had the most players on the list, with four (sophomore Willie Cauley-Stein and three freshmen: Julius Randle, Andrew Harrison, and James Young). Duke, Kansas and Michigan State, all top-5 teams in the preseason, each have three players on the list. Schools with two players selected include defending NCAA champion Louisville, Baylor, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio State, Tennessee and UCLA.

The 38th Wooden Award ceremony, set for April 11-12, will honor the men's and women's Wooden Award winners and include the presentation of the Wooden Award All-American teams and the Legends of Coaching Award, which will go to Tara VanDerveer, head women’s basketball coach at Stanford.